Ask HN: Should I stay at my default dead startup or go and do something else?

Perhaps more importantly than a mental model for thinking about this you might need the right mental state. You're tired and not seeing a path forward. That leads to burnout fast and isn't a great space to make big decisions from.

I'd talk to your co-founder and start by taking some time off. I bet for the past 3 years of grinding on the startup you haven't done a good job with vacations. If you went and fully unplugged for a month (or more) you might be in a place for a better perspective.

You might feel like you can't get away - that you're too essential to some work right now - but in my experience a top role of co-founders is to keep the passion and vision strong. Where you sound like you're at mentally you may be doing more team harm than good and your co-founder may be surprisingly supportive of you taking some time to get rest.

I’ve agreed with a lot of comments I’ve read, but something small I’d like to add:

Consider that any change is an opportunity for all parties involved to be better off. This isn’t to say that your cofounder or employees need somebody else, just that it’s better to go into any discussion assuming that there’s a everybody-wins scenario rather just a win-lose scenario. Maybe the everybody-wins scenario is having the conversation with your cofounder and choosing to stay. There’s lots of good things that can happen if folks conduct themselves with the right mindset to capitalize on new opportunities as they come along.

If you don't think your current startup will scale and achieve escape velocity, and you don't see a path to that or have the energy to take it there, it's time to move on.

Thinking about the long game, if you want to raise VC funds again, your reputation might be better served by winding down and returning the funds you haven't used, instead of burning through the remaining 7M.

If your team is still energized and believes, it might be better for the company for you to move on. You could explore an advisory or board only role and help identify a new leader to take the reigns.

Consider what you're giving up by staying. Could your time and energy be better spent on a new venture?

An interesting perspective